Device for controlling the passage of energy, containing a dichroic dye compound

A device for regulating the passage of energy in the form of light emitted by the sun from the environment into an inside space, where the device comprises a switching layer comprising one or more dichroic dyes of formula (I)

• or formula (II)
• where:
• X is on each occurrence, identically or differently, CR2 or N;
• Y is equal to S or Se;
• Z1is on each occurrence, identically or differently, a single bond, —CR3═CR3—or —C≡C—;
• Z2is on each occurrence, identically or differently, a single bond, O, S, C(R3)2, —CR3═CR3— or —C≡C—;
• Ar1is on each occurrence, identically or differently, an aryl or heteroaryl group having 5 to 30 aromatic ring atoms, which may be substituted by one or more radicals R4;
• R1 is on each occurrence, identically or differently, N(R5)2 or a straight-chain or branched alkyl or alkoxy having 3 to 10 C atoms, which may be substituted by one or more radicals R5, where one or more CH2 groups in the alkyl or alkoxy groups may each be replaced by —O—, —S—, —R5C═CR5—, or a siloxanyl group having 1 to 10 Si atoms, which may be substituted by one or more radicals R5;
• R2 is on each occurrence, identically or differently, H, D, F, Cl, CN, —(C═O)OR5, —O(C═O)R5, or an alkyl, alkoxy or thioalkoxy group having 1 to 10 C atoms, which may be substituted by one or more radicals R5, where one or more CH2 groups in the alkyl, alkoxy or thioalkoxy groups may each be replaced by —R5C═CR5—, —C≡C—, C═O, C═S, —C(═O)O—, —OC(═O)—, Si(R5)2, NR5, —O— or —S—;
• R3, R4 are on each occurrence, identically or differently, H, D, F, Cl, CN, or an alkyl, alkoxy or thioalkoxy group having 1 to 10 C atoms, which may be substituted by one or more radicals R5, where one or more CH2 groups in the alkyl, alkoxy or thioalkoxy groups may each be replaced by —R5C═CR5—, —C≡C—, C═O, C═S, —C(═O)O—, —OC(═O)—, Si(R5)2, NR5, —O— or —S—;
• R5 is on each occurrence, identically or differently, H, D, F, Cl, CN, N(R6)2, an alkyl, alkoxy or thioalkoxy group having 1 to 10 C atoms or an alkenyl or alkynyl group having 2 to 20 C atoms, where the above-mentioned groups may each be substituted by one or more radicals R6 and where one or more CH2 groups in the above-mentioned groups may each be replaced by —R6C═CR6—, —C≡C—, C═O, C═S, —C(═O)O—, —O(C═O)—, Si(R6)2, NR6, —O— or —S—, or an aryl or heteroaryl group having 5 to 30 aromatic ring atoms, which may in each case be substituted by one or more radicals R6;
• R6 is on each occurrence, identically or differently, H, F or an aliphatic organic radical having 1 to 20 C atoms, in which one or more H atoms may be replaced by F, or an aryl or heteroaryl group having 5 to 20 C atoms, in which one or more H atoms may each be replaced by F;
• i is equal to 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5;
• and
• wherein said switching layer further comprises a liquid-crystalline medium having a clearing point in the temperature range from 90° C. to 170° C., wherein said medium comprises one or more different compounds,
• wherein said device is capable of regulating the passage of energy in the form of light emitted by the sun from the environment into an inside space, and
• wherein said device is
• (a)electrically switchable from a state having relatively low light transmissivity into a state having higher light transmissivity;
• or
• (b) electrically switchable from a state having relatively high light transmissivity into a state having lower light transmissivity.